Recycled Exercise Books

| San

recycledexercisebooks01 recycledexercisebooks02 recycledexercisebooks03 recycledexercisebooks04 recycledexercisebooks05 recycledexercisebooks06 recycledexercisebooks07
Half-used exercise books are standard fixtures at the end of the school term. It gets kind of messy with a few pages from the spelling test book, to an almost unused stack from the penmanship class. Instead of keeping these used exercise books as it is, I consolidated the unused sheets into 2 DIY bound journals, so that I can write on the the remaining unused pages.

After some tearing, sorting and hole-punching, I turned to my elementary book binding skills and created 2 journal books with the loose sheets.

This project can be easily completed in under 2 hours. Nothing fanciful here, these recycled exercise books are after all just recycled paper being bound. I did not use any glitzy craft paper or tapes. I just grabbed whatever that I could find inside my drawer. However, I still attempted a simple decoration trick with a 3.5″ diskette label, to make it look slightly “old-school”.

Things I used for this project:
– Scissors
– Hole puncher
– Linen thread & needle
– Cover paper
– Masking tape (Optional, for the book spine, if you do not want the stitches to show)

For more on DIY book binding, see here, and here.

Planning For The School Holidays : December 2013 And Beyond

| San

2013 year end holiday planner calendar

Every Friday, I would browse through the “Happenings” listing in the papers to check out places (and cafes) that I can visit with my children (or friends).  I would then text my husband on the details, and he would go: “Where got so many activities one? Where got time to do all?”.  True, some of the events would clash on the same day, mostly during the weekends.  Others have limited seats, and are usually fully taken up by the time I read it in the papers.  The really interesting (& free) ones probably won’t even make it to the papers, and are circulated around via Facebook, or other social sites.  There are many events going on, and even more during this year end period, and sometimes all you need to do is to find them.

For this December school holiday, instead of listing down the activities, I am jotting down some of the sites that I have bookmarked for regular event updates.

National Heritage Board
With a whopping 11 museums and heritage institutions under its wings, you’re bound to find something going on that is interesting for you and your kids throughout the month.
Current Exhibitions
Programmes
Or like me, you might love browsing through a thoughtfully laid out Program Guide (PDF)

National Library
Whenever I step into a library, I like to browse through the activity guides that are placed at the entrance, whereas my kids would pick up a copy of the GoKids guide.  But frankly, this is not the best way to check out the programs, especially the popular ones for the kids.  More often than not, seats to the popular events would have been filled out by the time the brochures or posters are up at the library.  Go to GoLibrary Portal instead, this is where you can browse through activities by categories and book your seats online.

Esplanade
While ticketed events are mainly held there, free programs are also going on throughout the year.  Check out its What’s On page and filter for “Free Programmes” from the search bar.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Download their 13/14 season Brochure here, or browse through here for kids-friendly events.  I am interested in their open rehearsals for my family to watch what goes on behind the scenes, but the only one open to public has already taken place last month.  See, I told you too many events right?

Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Just as SSO, SCO already has all ticketed, as well as free events, lined up till July 2014 posted on their site here, including this and this in January next year to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Nature Parks
Now this area is a little bit more tricky.  While NParks takes great care of the parks, I do not rely on its Event Hub page for information, the search engines and layout format have done nothing to interest me and my kids.  The site is, however, great for general park information, and they provide trail routes and guides for DIY trips.

I tend to visit Wild Singapore Happenings instead, its blog format citing events in chronological order makes it a breeze to browse through.  They have already updated events all the way up to 28 December, the final weekend before the school holiday ends, how’s that for planning?

If you are a member of the Nature Society ($75/Year for a family membership), this is another great site to browse though.  If you are not a member, they still have some events line up for the general public, such as this and this, just check if you need to sign up in advance.  I have been wanting to bring my kids explore Bukit Brown, and this 9 Dec public walk event looks perfect.

Sometimes, I still visit the park’s own site (if any) in case some events get missed out, unfortunately, I found only 2:
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Singapore Botanic Gardens

Others
Some venues that I like to check out when I need a day out with my kids:

Gardens By the Bay

  • Public programmes are available on every first weekend of the month, not just during school holidays. For 7 and 8 December, they have a prehistoric theme event held at the Cooled Conservatories (this you have to pay for admission though).
  • If you like to relax at the garden with live music, local acappella group Budak Pantai will be performing this weekend (23-24 November) at the Supertree Grove from 6.45pm. Check out the rest of the events lined up from this Calendar here.

Sentosa

  • Admission to Sentosa is more affordable now, so sometimes I do check out if there are any special events organized worth participating here, other than just idling by the beaches.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore
My children grew up with pretty frequent (almost fortnightly) visits to the Singapore Zoo, as we were ‘Friends of the Zoo’ then.  As they grew ‘older’, we couldn’t make the trips as often as we like.  Soon the membership lapsed, and now I only make a trip when there are special events or offers.  I have posted the links to the event and promo pages below.  Please note that some attractions are going through a “no-event” moment.
Jurong Bird Park
Night Safari
River Safari
Singapore Zoo

Are there any other sites or blogs that you surf for ideas for this coming school holiday?

A Lovely Long Weekend

| San

November03November02  November04 November01
01. We managed to catch the Deepavali Festival Village tucked along Campbell Lane and Hasting Road on the its final day.

02. The bazaar was huge on party poppers, confetti showers, and decorative items.  It got really crowded when we reached the festive snack stall.

03. The block of flats above Tekka Market, interestingly, houses lifts with transparent viewing windows! (Is this a trend everywhere, or have I been living in a cave?)  We took it all the way up (25 floors in all), and could see Marina Bay Sands from where we stood.  I then realized that the lift interior was uncomfortably hot and stuffy, due to the scorching noon sun that was shining through the window.  I silently prayed that the lift would not stall on my way down, for I think it is pretty painful getting stuck in there where the ventilation fan above don’t even work well enough, suffocating while waiting for help. (Touch wood!)

04. I later learned that the Indians have a very, very sweet tooth.  I bought 6 pieces of the sweets back to sample (they have a lot more variety!), but I could only bit a tiny portion off each time, only to find it too sweet for a second bite, before returning it back into the fridge.  It is still there, and I have a feeling that I won’t be able to finish them at all…

++ I passed by Moghul Sweet Shop (48 Serangoon Road) and saw a long queue at its entrance.  Will return for their Kaju Katli, as they look simple amazing with the edible silver foil! ++

Mini Coffee Chiffon Cake

| San

minicoffeechiffon03 minicoffeechiffon02

I have some 4 inches mini tube pans that I love to death.  They are wonderful for testing out new recipes, and by baking mini versions, sharing is also prettier when you can just give a couple of these whole cakes away, instead of slicing from a bigger cake.

I baked these mini coffee chiffon cakes with 3-in-1 instant coffee mix powder dissolved in 20ml of hot water.  I used it to replace 1 tablespoon coffee powder, 20 ml fresh milk and 20 grams sugar from the original recipe, in case you don’t have 3-in-1.

RECIPE : MINI COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE
/ Source
/ Makes 2 x 4 inch cakes

____________

  • 1 tablespoon 3-in-1 instant coffee mix*
  • 20ml hot water
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 20ml cooking oil
  • 40g self raising flour
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 50g castor sugar

* I used “Super” brand of Instant White Coffee Mix

____________

01. Dissolve instant coffee mix powder in hot water.

02. In a mixing bowl, combine well the dissolved coffee, egg yolks and oil.

03. Fold in self raising flour to form batter. Set aside.

04. In a separate bowl, whisk egg white with cream of tartar until soft peaks are formed.

05. Gradually add sugar in three additions, beat at high speed until stiff peaks are formed.

06. Gently fold in the egg white mixture into the yolk batter.

07. Pour batter into the mini tube pans.  Tap the pans on the table to remove air pockets.

08. Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 170C.

09. Remove from oven, invert pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes before removing the cake to serve.

2013 Year End Holiday Calendar Planner

| San

yearendholidayplannercalendar01 yearendholidayplannercalendar02

3 things that I have done since the exams ended:
01. Put the used textbooks aside till the next donation drive.
02. Dropped the non reusable activity books and exam practice papers in the recycling bins.
03. Cleaned up the study room.

I am currently looking out for activities to do in November and December.  Knowing how much I love planners, I created a monthly version this time, for simple tracking of available events around town and my family’s holiday schedule.

Have you started planning your year end activities?

Easy Fried Bee Hoon

| San

friedbeehoon01 friedbeehoon
I am not sure who is happier after the exams, my kids or me.  Anyway, to free up my precious afternoon time for some movies and a proper tea time, I prepared an easy bee hoon (rice vermicelli) dish that can last from lunch to dinner, kept hot in a thermal cooker.

Fried bee hoon is great as a one pot meal, it’s also equally versatile, replacing jasmine rice to pair with other dishes, which is what I intend to do for dinner.  If you want to make it real plain, just fry the been hoon with soy sauce mixture will do.

EASY FRIED BEE HOON
// Adapted from Noobcook
// Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 400g dried bee hoon (that’s one pack)
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped finely
  • 500ml water, mixed well with the 2 kind of sauces below, set aside
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons light soy sauce

Optional

  • 4-6 shitake mushroom, sliced
  • A handful of bean sprouts, both ends removed
  • Omelette, made from large 3 eggs, sliced

METHOD

01. Fully submerge dried bee hoon in a pot of tap water, soak till softened, about 40 minutes.  Drain away water, set aside.
02. Add oil to a heated wok, over high heat, saute chopped garlic till fragrant.
03. Add in optional ingredients (except omelette), and fry for a few minutes.
04. Add in bee hoon, and mix briefly all ingredients.
05. Pour in the soy sauce mixture, cook till the bee hoon soaked up the liquid, stirring all while to prevent been hoon from getting charred.
06. Serve immediately, garnish with sliced omelette.

DIY Popsicle #008 : Cashew Butter Popsicle

| San

diypopsicle8

Inspired by the many cashew butter ice-cream all over the web, I decided to try one out for my popsicle project.  According to this recipe from My New Roots, I could team it with any fruit I want : peaches, blackberries, plums, or mangoes.  I went for bananas.

DIY Popsicle Version 00 : Cashew Butter Popiscle
1. Base :  Soaked 70 grams of raw cashew nuts overnight in the fridge.  Next day, blend it on high speed with 2 tablespoons of water and honey(or any other sweetener like agave or maple syrup) until smooth.  Add in 2 large bananas (cut) and continue blending.
2. For some bites : None.  I wanted the the final texture was really smooth, with some nutty taste from the cashews.

The Perfect Hardboiled Egg Salad Sandwich

| San

eggsaladsandwich002 eggsaladsandwich001

How many ways can you cook a perfect hard boiled egg?  I have seen this question being asked and replied so many times before.

I have been using this timing from 101 Cookbook for the longest time: 7 minutes exactly. 

This is the amount of time I let the eggs sit fully submerged in a covered pot of water, after the eggs and the water have been brought to a gentle boil TOGETHER in the pot.  Use room temperature eggs, not cold ones, for best results.

After 7 minutes, dip the eggs into a separate pot of cold water to stop the cooking, and let the eggs cool down enough for handling.  I don’t use ice cold water, just water from tap will do.  I prefer to eat the eggs VERY WARM, so I will do the shell peeling immediately, with my hands and eggs in the water, since the shells do not become too hot to touch this way.

The 7 minutes sitting rule works perfectly every time for my large eggs (55g – 60g).  Prior to following this timing, I resorted to leaving my eggs in the hot water (sometimes still boiling!) for as long as I could, to make sure that they are fully cooked.  Later, I realized that the dark green ring that forms on the yolk is a sign of an overcooked egg.  Nothing dangerous or toxic, I guess, just unappealing to the eyes.  Perfectly cooked egg yolks should be prettier in bright yellow.

Try this out and use it to make an equally perfect egg salad sandwich.

++Notes 001 // I managed to yield 4 sandwiches with just 4 large eggs, instead of 6 as per original recipe. I do not want exceed the number of eggs our family eat every week (fat, cholestrol concerns), we do have eggs pretty often.

++Notes002 // I skipped on the lemon juice as I used Kewpie mayonnaise, which I think is slightly more sour than the American version.

RECIPE : EGG SALAD SANDWICH
/ Source
/ Serves 4

____________

4 large hard boiled eggs, peeled
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 bunch of chives, chopped
8 slices of walnut bread, toasted
black pepper, to taste

____________

01. Break up the hard boiled eggs in a large bowl with a fork.

02. Mix in mayonnaise.  Add more if the mixture is not moist enough.

03. Stir in chopped chives.

04. To assemble sandwich, scoop egg salad mixture and spread on a toasted bread slice.

05. Sprinkle some pepper on top of egg salad mixture, finish by topping with a second piece of toast.

Simple Oyakodon : October Recipe

| San

oyakodon001 oyakodon002 oyakodon003

The recipe featured this month on my desk calendar is Oyakodon /親子丼.

The kids never order this item when we eat out at Japanese restaurants, they always choose the teriyaki-don and ramen in milky broth over this equally ubiquitous item on Japanese menu.  Glad to know that they like it, the caramelized onions made the chicken meat very appetizing, like many other dishes that are cooked with onions.

+ Adapted the calendar recipe into a side dish instead of serving it on top of a bowl of rice to make it a one-dish-meal.  (Strictly speaking, it might not be an Oyakodon anymore when only the egg and chicken is left, what do you call this dish then?)

+ I used chicken breast meat, not chicken thigh.

+ Original recipe asked for Dashi soup concentrate (1 1/2 teaspoons), I opted this out as I don’t have it.

OYAKODON
// Adapted from : Ascendas Group 2013 Calendar
// Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 skinless chicken breast, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons mirin
  • 2 teaspoons light soya sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 stalk scallion (Optional)

METHOD

01. Combine mirin, soya sauce and sugar in a medium bowl.  Marinate chicken meat slices in this mixture for 30 minutes.
02. Heat oil in a frying pan.
03. Add onions and chicken, fry till the meat turns slightly brown.
04. Add a bit of water, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
05. Slowly pour in beaten egg on top, do not stir or mix.
06. Continue to simmer till the egg is cooked.
07. Serve immediately, top with chopped scallions.